Herbal Sleep AidsSome of the most effective natural cures for insomnia include valerian, chamomile, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), kava, and hops. Each of these treatments for sleep problems has its own benefits, and hopefully this guide will help you in choosing the right product to help you conquer your insomnia without the use of a potentially addictive prescription sleep medication. Valerian has been known throughout centuries as the king of all herbal sleep aids. The roots and stems of the plant are used widely in Europe and the United States as the active ingredients of many non-addictive natural sleep aids. The most common use of valerian is to improve sleep, which it does by blocking certain signals to the brain. Several scientific trials have shown that a dose of valerian before bed has a much more significant effect on easing insomnia than a placebo. Sleep quality also benefits from a dose of valerian, according to a Swedish study, with less people waking up groggy compared to those taking a prescription sleep drug. As another of the popular natural cures for insomnia, chamomile is a gentle, non-addictive relaxant which can treat a sleep problem and general muscle cramps. Chamomile secures its place under herbal sleep aids by relaxing the brain, preventing certain signals from stirring you from your rest. It works specifically on the anxiety receptors, so chamomile doubles as an anti-anxiety herbal supplement. 5-Hydroxytryptophan is also one of the best herbal sleep aids available on the natural supplements market. 5-HTP for short, it is a derivative of the mood improving, relaxing amino acid, tryptophan. Therefore, 5-HTP doubles as a natural sleep aid and an antidepressant. By helping increase the brain's serotonin levels, a dose of 5-HTP will improve your mood and help you lose anxiety. This, in turn, will help you get to sleep much easier. Furthermore, 5-HTP has also been shown to help promote longer periods of REM (dream) states and put you in a deeper sleep, without being left groggy in the morning. Like other natural sleep aids, 5-HTP is completely non-addictive, a great benefit over common prescription sleep medications. As a tranquilizer derived from peppers, kava is also one of the better herbal sleep aids currently used to treat insomnia. By acting as a relaxant, kava puts you in a mood to sleep and can also double as an anti-anxiety and antidepressant. Due to its low reactivity with other chemical compounds, kava can also be combined with a variety of other herbal sleep aids such as chamomile and valerian, for even more benefits. The last on this list of herbal sleep aids is hops, one of the major components to making beer. This natural cure for insomnia functions as a mild sedative and a relaxant, like all of the previous entries. Studies have shown that hops can relax you enough to cure insomnia when either taken orally or when the hops are simply stuffed into your pillow, allowing you to breathe in their relaxing scent throughout the night.
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